I love this clip from The Simpsons. It perfectly describes why Republicans and their attendant Villagers are pushing so hard and loudly to 'do a deal' before December 31st. Here's the money quote from Mr. Burns:

Think of the economy as a car, and the rich man as the driver.

If you don’t give the driver all the money, he’ll drive you over a cliff.

That's exactly what Republicans are threatening. I know there have been a lot of posts about this so-called cliff, but I think it's worth listing what happens on January 1st if Democrats do absolutely nothing:

The top tax rate for individuals goes up by about 4 percentage points.

Capital gains rates increase to 20 percent.

Dividends are taxed as ordinary income, rather than at the Bush-era 15 percent capital gain rate.

Estate tax rates return to 2001 levels, and the taxable cap returns to $2 million instead of $10 million.

Payroll tax holiday expires

Some of these consequences aren't great for the middle class, which is why House Democrats are pushing so hard to force a vote on the Senate bill extending those tax cuts while allowing the upper-income tax cuts to expire.

The real sticking point, by the way, is the estate tax, which no one is talking about. It's not just a problem with Republicans, but also Blue Dog Democrats. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) is one of those who refuses to vote on any package that doesn't preserve estate tax levels at a $5 million cap and 35 percent tax rate. Evidently Senator Landrieu is fine with establishing a permanent plutocracy in this country, because nothing is more helpful for that than the current ridiculously low estate tax rates and high estate exemption of $10 million.

We've already seen rumbles that Republicans intend to hold the debt ceiling hostage yet again. This practice has to be stopped and it has to be stopped now. As long as they think they have some leverage, Republicans will continue to try and cut Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare while holding the debt ceiling hostage to do it. Democrats have to be pushed to stand firm, and if the tea party is pushing Republicans to jump into the abyss, so be it.

As for sequestration, it will certainly be better to look at the budget in light of more guaranteed revenue right now than it will to start playing trade-off games with it. Sequestration was a Republican idea, and they should own it outright.

When the new Congress convenes in January, the tea party will have less leverage and Democrats will have all of the messaging on their side. There is no upside for Republicans. They need to learn this early on.

It is not 2009. There is no reason to continue to put up with their nonsensical Lucy and Charlie Brown football-snatching game. They need to learn that the voters, not the billionaires, will decide this debate.

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I took the opportunity to look at your profile and comment history. I at least have to give you credit for being a consistent bigot and racist.

"There's something highly rational about lynching. There's something highly rational about apartheid too. It serves the interests of the group practicing it. What could be more rational than that? Most sociologists literally define rationality in this way. Lynchings terrorize people and are very effective ways to contain black problems and keep them from adversely affecting the white community. The morality of lynching on the other hand is a matter of debate, though on occasion I can't pretend I don't sympathize with a little righteous mob justice. : )"

The messes made in the desperate aftermath of Nixon getting his yes-he-really-really-was-a-crook ass heaved out of the Oval Office gave us Ronald Reagan. Ronnie proved that being comatose is acceptable in a Republican 'leader'.

I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment, but once Rep. Shoutycrackers (translation of his name from the original gibberish) was elected to the lege by the good idiots of Colorado, he's given committee assignments. Getting one of his committee assignments yanked is about all DelGrosso can do to Shoutycrackers. At least DelGrosso said the right things about him.